Final Upgrade
1.0.0.11
Made following commands not to override the ship's current auto-logic:
Local jump.
Hyper jump.
Manual construction order.
Made ships to auto-reconstruct to last state if damaged and jumped to a safe sector.
1.0.0.10
Added starting option "Factions counter-attack during war". If disabled, factions will not create new ships and will not attack player sectors.
Made possible to switch the faction counter-attack mode during the game (F3 window).
Added warning that the peaceful mode was disabled during selection of starting options.
Added more battery capacity to Kinetic Fighter T4 blueprint.
Stopped camera movements in main menu when options window or game start window is active.
More Music Tracks
Go to the main menu, section "Sounds" and activate the option "Expanded number of music tracks".
Attention content creators: If you plan to make a YouTube video with additional music tracks, you may need license files that can be requested from the Discord channel. Licenses are only valid for Final Upgrade videos.
For regular players, enabling this option is highly recommended.
Tip: hot key F4 switches to the next track.
Release Stream
Game Release
Release version changes.
Rapid construction tools.
It is now possible to install a fully configured and piped machine in just a few clicks. It also became possible to build an entire production chain from an existing machine to a required resource.
New technology tree.
Technologies have been reorganized into a tree structure, with direct dependencies on all previous technologies. Added the ability to add all previous technologies to the research queue with one click.
Obtaining memory for research.
Now, in addition to capturing sectors and leveling up planets and deposits, memory is added for reaching the levels of the total population.
Alternative research mode (optional hard mode).
In this mode, the player cannot directly select the research target. After increasing the level of AI, it is proposed to choose the opening of one of the three technologies (taking into account their dependence on the technology tree). This makes it more difficult to achieve in-game goals, especially when combined with other high difficulty options.
Direct docking of ships and stations.
It became possible to connect a ship through pipes to a station or another ship for a direct transfer of resources without the cost of energy for teleportation.
Autologic "Waypoints".
To automate logistics using direct docking, the player can set movement points for any ship, with different types of waiting (loading, unloading, while the ore is being mined on the asteroid). This logic gives 100% control over logistics and allows you to implement visualized production chains of any complexity.
Orbital elevator.
Every station above a habitable planet can use an orbital elevator to transport resources back and forth without the need for a transport ship to hyperjump to the planet.
Logistics system.
The player can use three independent tools to build the logistics system: routes and transport ships, teleportation relays (within 5 sectors) and direct docking along with waypoints. Any combination is also possible.
Shipyard logic.
Allows you to organize the automated construction of specified ships non-stop, until the selected fleet size is reached.
Logic of the ammunition carrier.
A transport ship with this logic will deliver ammunition directly to warships.
Fleet management.
In a special map mode, the player can issue commands simultaneously to all ships of a sector to attack another sector.
Living metal.
Technologies for the production of living metals (in nano-assembler) and their composites are available. Living metals have resistances to various types of damage similar to ordinary metals, but when damaged, they regenerate by consuming energy from batteries.
Behavior of enemy factions.
Now when an enemy faction is attacked by an enemy or the aggression threshold set in the options is reached, the faction will gradually start attacking and capturing the player's sectors. The less sectors a faction has left, the harder it fights.
The colony produces resources only after supplying the requested resources (optional hard mode).
In the main mode, the colony starts producing resources immediately. In the same mode, you first need to research, produce and deliver the resource of constant demand requested by the colony. This is where asteroid mining becomes critical.
Other new options.
Now it is possible to customize the gameplay completely to your taste. You can enable or disable orders to upgrade the planet and its deposits. You can make the map completely open at the start. You can make all technologies available right away, or you can start with enough memory for all research. You can choose between fast gameplay or a long run. You can enable or disable the multiplier of energy consumption from the number of machines used.
Difficulty modes.
Added seven preset difficulty modes from easy to impossible. You can also manually activate any set of options.
New machine: nuclear reactor.
Size 5x5. Consumes uranium rods and coolant.
New machine: nano assembler.
Size 3x5. Consumes metal and nanites. Produces living metal.
New machine: disassembler.
Size 7x7. Disassembles resources into raw materials.
Resources.
Added new types of resources. Rebalanced production recipes. The logic of production has been straightened out: machines consume one unit of resources and energy, and produce another unit of resource.
Enjoy!
Gameplay Rebalancing
Hello everyone!
I'm happy to announce that I've finished rebalancing the gameplay (EXPERIMENTAL BRANCH).
Why it was needed: Players have repeatedly reported that even at the highest difficulty levels, technologies are researched too easily and lose interest because of this. At the same time, the easy difficulty levels should remain so that novice players can get comfortable.
Two options that significantly increase the complexity:
1. Alternative research mode.
2. Planetary deposits consume resources.
The essence of the alternate research mode is that you can't directly research any technology. When the AI gains enough experience to level up, you are offered a choice of three technologies for which all predecessors have been researched. This adds an element of unpredictability and makes the choice much more meaningful. By choosing one of the technologies, you reduce the chance of the roll of the other two. Each subsequent technology requires more memory than the previous one. In contrast to the normal mode, the memory deficit is felt more strongly. In the face of severe limitations in available memory, this leads to situations of difficult choice. Go for nuclear power to end the global energy shortage, or take on more powerful munitions to push back the attacking faction, even if the next chance for nuclear power comes in many rolls?
The second option "Planetary deposits consume resources" makes it necessary to use asteroids to the full extent. A planet does not automatically start resource mining immediately after its capture, until you have supplied it with resources of constant demand. At the beginning of the game, there will be a total lack of resources. They will need to be distributed literally bit by bit. Until you level up the planet, the exchange will go 1:1 / 1:2. In the middle and end of the game, you need to be careful not to cascade production shutdown. And if this happens, there is a chance your management talent to restart your incredibly complex production mechanism.
The harder the game, the sweeter the win, right?
What has also been made more difficult:
Faction battles.
In this game, the emphasis is not on manual control and single battles, but on the economic component of the war and the automatic control of fleets leading several battles at once. For this, there is the logic of a shipyard (non-stop construction of ships), ammo carriers, and the fleet management tool so that you can send many ships from one sector to another at once.
Factions, on their part, after the start of the war, build attack fleets on their planets and send them to capture your sectors. The fewer sectors remain under their control, the faster they prepare new ships. The closer you get to destroying a faction, the harder it gets.
What you need to win:
1. Produce armor with the correct type of resistance, depending on the faction's weapon type.
2. Produce the most advanced ammo of the type that deals the most damage to the armor of the selected faction.
3. Organize fast and uninterrupted production in the required volumes.
4. Have enough energy to capture enemy sectors.
5. Strategically choose sectors to attack, considering that a faction becomes more aggressive the fewer sectors it has left.
Recent changes have made the yellow faction the most difficult to defeat. Most likely, you will need to deeply research the technologies of lasers and living metal in order to win. These technologies are the most difficult to obtain.
Ammo has been rebalanced to make early fights viable.
If you have a lot of experience in the game and are looking for a challenge worthy of your abilities, I recommend the "Master" setting. The additional option "Long Run" increases the difficulty even more.
But don't limit yourself. The game can be assembled brick by brick from a large number of settings.
Want faster gameplay? Disable upgrades of planets and deposits.
Do you want to build a lot of machines and not experience resource constraints? Turn on "Abundant Resources".
Are you for peace and hate violence? Add "Peaceful Mode" to "Master" difficulty mode (maybe with "Long Run" if you like). It's your game.
Enjoy!
And please let me know what you think of the latest changes.
Always yours,
TaosX
P.S. How to activate the experimental branch:
Right click on the game in the Steam Library -> Properties -> Betas -> Update 2.1
Update 2.1 is ready for testing!
That day has Finally arrived. Update 2.1 is ready for testing on the EXPERIMENTAL branch.
New features:
1. New building tools that allow you to create a fully connected and configured machine in a few clicks. Or even an entire production chain.
2. New technology tree. New resources for production. New production machines.
3. Game options to create a set of rules just for you. From easy and fast paced gameplay to a mind-bending puzzle game where every step counts.
4. Large-scale battles in which the economy is of great importance. Enemies will press on your borders incessantly if the war is started. New tools will help you with this: shipyard logic that builds combat ships non-stop; fleet management mode, which allows you to move many warships between sectors at a time; regenerating living armor.
5. Direct docking of ships and stations. Together with the auto-logic "Waypoints", you can build logistics chains of incredible complexity.
Let me know what you think.
Yours sincerely,
TaosX
Quick update of development progress.
Completed:
- Many new types of resources have been added. I will most likely add more in the testing phase.
- Added nuclear reactor, nano-assembler and orbital elevator.
- Implemented a system of living metals.
- Implemented the "Restore last state" function (for damaged ships and damaged or destroyed stations).
- The tech tree has been redesigned in vein of Update 2, but with some significant improvements based on feedback.
- Implemented direct docking of the ship with the station (see "Next steps").
- Improved fluid system in several areas. For example, it is now possible to connect machines without a tank in the middle.
- All new combat system improvements have been moved: fleet management, faction aggressive behavior, single ship logic.
- Improved XP system (see "Next Steps").
In progress:
- Single ship waypoint system (part of direct docking).
- Teleportation relay improvements.
- Sorter block.
- Disassembler machine (see "Next Steps").
- Energy rebalancing.
- Energy widget.
- Alternative research system (improved based on feedback from Update 2).
- Left click camera drag
- Tutorial improvements.
- New blueprints.
- Minor UI improvements.
- Possibly: “No Teleportation” game mode (designed to use full scale direct docking).
- Possibly: "Last wave" mode (the final global attack of enemies when you defeat them all).
- Internal testing.
After that, I will open a new experimental branch.
Thank you for playing and sharing your ideas!
New Tutorial
Thank you all for your help with testing!
New Players: Feedback required. Please share your experience on the forum or Discord channel.
New Tutorial Test
I'm glad to announce that I've completed work on a new tutorial for Update 1, which we have chosen together with you for further development (the second update will remain on the experimental branch).
I ask for the help of experienced players with testing a new tutorial. How to switch to the experimental build: Properties/Betas/New Tutorial.
Now I'm starting to work on the development of Update 2.1, which will transfer all the best features of the failed Update 2 and also add a number of new ones.
Join the next steps discussion on the forum or discord channel.